Saturday, March 14, 2015

50. IF THEY PERSECUTE ME, THEY WILL PERSECUTE YOU


The warning – “They will persecute you.”

Jesus warned his apostles and believers in JOHN 15: 20 Remember my word that I said to you: The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my word, they will keep yours also.”

Could it be because Jesus chose and appointed the Catholics to go out and bring forth fruit?

The Appointment of the Apostles to Evangelize 
All Nations in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

After Jesus’ resurrection, the eleven disciples went into Galilee where they met Jesus. Upon seeing Jesus, they adored him knowing that he is the Christ that is resin from the dead, but some doubted. This is where Jesus up in the mountain had spoken and made the profound appointment of the Apostles.

Here, Jesus commanded them, saying in MATTHEW 28:18-20 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”


The apostles received the divine appointment directly from Jesus. With this appointment, Jesus gave all power to his apostles. At this time, we also see the warrant and commission of the apostles and their successors, the bishops and pastors of Christ's church. 

Just as Jesus received from his Father, all power in heaven and in earth: and in the same virtue of this power, he sends them. Just as his Father sent him, he sent his apostles to teach and make disciple of not one, but all nations; and instruct them in all truths: and that he may assist them effectually in the execution of this commission. 

Jesus also promises to be with them, not for three or four hundred years only, but all days, even to the consummation of the world. 

How then could the Catholic Church ever go astray; having always with her pastors, as is here promised, Christ himself, who is the way, the truth, and the life (JOHN 14:6 “Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.
Why the World Hate the Catholic Church?

JOHN 15:16-19 “You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that you love one another. If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Satan hated God that in MATTHEW 2:16 “Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.” Herod sent his soldiers to slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under.
Wicked king Herod was controlled by the Devil, just as was Hitler. Satan hated Christ and wanted him dead, even at the expense of thousands of lives. Satan used Herod to murder thousands of children. Satan could not have cared less about those children. In fact, Satan hates children.

Today, Satan is still out to destroy children in every way possible. Satan causes abortion. He causes war, causes drunk drivers.

If Satan cannot kill the children, then he tries to blind them with demonic religion. Satan causes false religion



The Devil always looks for 
willing servants to do his evil.

Are there really willing servants who are serving the devil? Do they do knowingly know they are serving Satan? Or they just know they are because they are under the spell of the devil? 

No one really can tell nor judge if they are or not, but one thing Jesus who is our all-knowing God knows it for sure for he reads the heart of any man anywhere they are and in every seconds of their lives, before, during and after. God already knows what are in our thoughts and in our hearts no matter what.

I'd like to share here this article "How Satan Controls The World" written by David J Steward | January 2012 | Updated June 2014.
The Bible teaches in our text verse that Satan is the god of this world, but the true and living God owns the earth and the fullness thereof (1st Corinthians 10:26). The Devil is only the god of the world's evil political, religious and control system. As such, Satan needs a way to communicate his evil desires with those evil men and women who are willing servants. Satan controls his willing servants through spiritual mediums such as Aleister Crowley, Helen Blavatsky and other occultists. Alex Jones snuck into Bohemian Grove in the year 2000 and recorded the dark highpriest summonsing Satan to “grant us thy counsel.” Evil men seek Satan's counsel, and they receive it through witchcraft and satanism.

And then Satan deceives many people by imitating Christ's ministers. Most of the people who are following the Devil think they are doing the right thing. Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and Roman Catholics are all satanic religious cults, but sincerely think that they are doing the right thing. This is true of nearly all their adherents, but don't be fooled, the top leaders of these evil organizations are sold out to Freemasonry and Satan. They are fully aware of Satan's control over these organizations, which is why they are all top level Freemasons, Luciferian worshippers.

Charles Taze Russell (founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses) and Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormons) were both 33rd degree Freemasons. So also was Oral Roberts, Ron Hubbard and many others. By taking control over a small handful of top positions of power in every field of industry, education, entertainment, government, corporate and religious influence, occult members are able to control the world for Satan. SIGNS OF SATAN!

The sinister global elite have all the money and own all the television networks, Hollywood studios, mainstream news outlets, and the music and video game industries. Remember, Satan is the god of this world (2nd Corinthians 4:4), and as such he needs a way to control the world. This is accomplished by a pyramid of power, a chain of command flowing from the tiny elite top level down to the widespread pawns on the bottom. Please read, The Great Pyramid.

Another question that should come into our mind after reading the above article in full is this: Was the article written in accordance to and in obedience to the will of the Father? I am not the judge so I can't say what I feel about the article.

If one is not spiritually guided by the Holy Spirit, it will not be hard to see the truth or if there is any hidden agenda behind the article. 




The Catholic Church Founded on Peter

Before Peter was chosen to be the leader of the church that Jesus was going to establish, his appointment came after when the Pharisees were tempting Christ to show them signs from heaven that he refused. Peter's appointment came as a reward though at first Jesus rebuked Peter for opposing Christ's passion. To follow and obey Jesus, all his followers must deny themselves.

After Jesus left the Pharisees, his disciples followed him to where there was water but they had forgotten to take bread. This is when Jesus warned them of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples thought within themselves, Jesus warned them because they have not brought bread with them. MATTHEW 16:8 “Jesus knowing it said: Why do you think within yourselves, O ye of little faith, for that you have no bread?”

When Jesus said that, he was actually talking to them about the bread but he was warning them about the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. MATTHEW 16: 11-12 “Why do you not understand that it was not concerning the bread I said to you: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Then they understood that he said not that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

The Appointment of St Peter as 
Head of the Catholic Church

Peter’s appointment as the head of the church that Jesus founded did not come easy. His appointment came as a reward though at first Jesus rebuked Peter for opposing Christ's passion. With Peter’s appointment, all his followers must deny themselves.

At the quarters of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples who do men say that the Son of man is. Some apostles said he is John the Baptist, and other Elias, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked again and this time he said to them but who do you say that I am?
And when Peter was asked, he answered: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. Hearing Peter’s answer, Jesus told Peter that he was blessed and mentioned his name, Simon Bar-Jona, that because no one knows about the flesh and blood but only to the person to who God the Father in heaven revealed to. Peter then was given the keys to the kingdom of heaven and the leadership of the church Jesus had just founded on him.   

MATTHEW 16:18-19 “And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.”
Thou art Peter: As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ; so in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he is pleased to raise him: viz., that he to whom he had already given the name of Peter, signifying a rock, (JOHN 1:42And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter.”), should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor; and should have accordingly all fullness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

Upon this rock: The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar language of the Jews which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had said in English, Thou art a Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church. So that, by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock, upon which the church was to be built: Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note, that Christ, by building his house, that is, his church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder, (MATTHEW 7:24-25Everyone therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock, And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock.”)

The gates of hell: That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself, or his agents. For as the church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock; so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, that is, the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the city or church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever shall at any time prevail over the church of Christ.

Loose upon earth: The losing the bands of temporal punishments due to sins is called an indulgence; the power of which is here granted.
Denial of Jesus is hate, 
hate of Jesus is hate of God the Father as well.

Reminding his apostles, Jesus warns that his church will be hated persecuted because of him though no matter how the enemies try, even the gates of hell will not prevail against it and that he promised the Holy Spirit to come to help them thru.

JOHN 15:21-27 “But all these things they will do to you for my name' s sake: because they know not him who sent me. If I had not come, and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. But that the word may be fulfilled which is written in their law: They hated me without cause. But when the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me. And you shall give testimony, because you are with me from the beginning.

Whom I will send: This proves, against the modern Greeks, that the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Son, as well as from the Father: otherwise, the Son could not send him.

The Favorite Sin of the Devil - Pride

But there is a very deep mystery to Satan's hatred of the Son of God.

However, an important clue to Satan’s hatred is contained in the third temptation he makes to Jesus in the desert. Showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world he says, “All these I will give you, if you will but fall down and worship me” (MATTHEW 4:10).
Here we see the curtain pulled back, and we glimpse for a moment the kind of inner torment that dominates Satan. He seems desperate to be adored. He cannot bear that he is a creature and that there is another, other than himself (God), who is ever to be adored.

Thus in his colossal pride Satan hates, first of all, God. And by extension, he hates everyone and everything that manifests the glory of God. Even more, he hates those who seek to adore God rather than him. In his venomous pride, Satan seeks to destroy the Church, which declares the glory of God and reminds us that God alone is to be adored. Surely he hates and seeks to destroy those who even try to adore God, and who do not accord him, Satan, the worship and pride of place for which he ravenously hungers.

Hence, as the text from the temptation in the desert suggests, Satan is tormented by pride, and his torment is filled with deep hatred for all who worship God and all who draw others to the worship of the one, true God. 

Because of this, Satan is hellbent in trying to destroy Jesus' Catholic Church. Satan will use anyone, everyone and even religion to achieve his sinister goal - the destruction of Catholicism. 

Satan Wants to Destroy the Catholic Church

REVELATION 12:9And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

The Catholic Church is the only religion or faith in the world that Satan wants to destroy. Only Catholicism brings Christ to the world through His Sacraments. Without the Catholic Church, our world would forever be lost to darkness and Christianity would disappear.

Our Protestants brothers in Christ may think otherwise but the basis of Protestantism is Catholicism. We are using the same bible though Protestants have only 66 books translations.

Without Catholicism, no one has a chance to stand against Satan and his worldly influences. Catholicism has withstood every scandal, every persecution. It has outlasted every major empire for two thousand years. Many have tried to destroy the Church, but by the power of the Trinity, the Church just goes right through these forces.

The Catholic Church is One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. In addition, here is one good reason Satan hates the Catholic Church the most.

Satan is Cast Out of Heaven
Can or Why will Satan cast Satan?

Many anti-Catholic Churches say the Catholic Church is the harlot, the seat of Satan, the pagan church, the church of the devil. But how can Satan cast Satan? Why will churches attack the Catholic Church relentlessly?

In MARK 3:22-25 And the scribes who were come down from Jerusalem, said: He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils he casteth out devils. And after he had called them together, he said to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand."

If the Catholic Church is Satan’s church, why will he attack her? The only reason almost all religion is against Catholicism because Satan hates Catholicism. So Satan perverted the bible into 66 books and removed 7 books from the original bible that Jesus’ church put together when he appointed her to teach and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Satan cannot stand what the Catholics are doing, worshiping God in their prayers, during the Holy Mass where the Triumph of the Blessed Sacrament over Beelzebub was witnessed by over 150,000 Protestants and Catholics.

One thing, the Catholic Church has the Truth and the divine Jesus Christ. Many other religions claim this but Satan is not seeking to destroy any of them. It is important that one should ask himself why this is so.

Only the Catholic Church has the Holy Eucharist and other Sacraments. Satan wants to separate man from the graces that Christ bestows on each of us through the Holy Sacraments. Satan knows that without the Sacraments no one is strong enough to fight him. No human can EVER conquer Satan.

MARK 3:35 “For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother.”

Have faith in the Catholic Church for Jesus revealed the truth on what will happen in the end in MATTHEW 16:18 “And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”


Tuesday, March 3, 2015

49. PROTESTANTISM'S GREAT HERESY – IGNORING THE BLESSED MOTHER


mary-and-jesus



This Friday, 15 August, the calendars of Lutherans, Anglicans, and perhaps some other liturgically minded Protestants calls for the celebration of ‘St. Mary – Mother of our Lord’. On this same day, Roman Catholics will celebrate the ‘Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary’ and the Orthodox the ‘Dormition of the Theotokos’.


Unfortunately, this feast does not fall on a Sunday, which means most Protestants will hear nothing of it this year. They will not meditate on the readings, the hymns, or the propers assigned for this day. I highly doubt many Lutheran parishes will even reference it in the Prayers of the Church on Sunday morning. And this is sad. For those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, it’s tragic, as venerating Mary does nothing but point people to her Son. Yet it’s hardly surprising. In fact, I think it’s emblematic of Protestantism’s greatest heresy – ignoring the role that the Blessed Virgin Mary plays in our faith.


mary


I know this is a strong statement. It’s a stinging indictment of the movement to which I belong and a church body of which I am a pastor. But as much as I wish it weren’t true, I’m afraid it is. We Protestants say we hold the Blessed Mother in high esteem. Our calendars even have a few days set aside during the year to honor her. But this is nothing short of window dressing, as the Blessed Virgin Mary has little to do with the faith we confess. And this must change. We Protestants have to do better. To ignore the Blessed Virgin is to ignore her Son, something no follower of the Christ should ever desire to do.


For starters, I’ve always found it ironic that we who proclaim ‘Sola Scriptura’ seem to ignore the Scriptures when Mary tells us in her Magnificat: “from now on all generations will call me blessed.” But we do – that is, we Protestants almost always ignore this commendation, thereby betraying our own hermeneutic.

How often (if ever) do Protestants refer to Mary as the Blessed Virgin, the Blessed Mother, etc.? We certainly respect her, but we most assuredly do not treat her as the most noble gem in all of Christendom [after her Son], as our own Martin Luther referred to her.

Rather, we lump her together with the other saints of the New Testament. But the Blessed Mother is nothing of the sort. She is no ordinary saint. She is the saint of saints. She is the Theotokos – the Mother of God, a title given her at the Council of Ephesus in 431 and echoed in the Lutheran Book of Concord. The Blessed Mother is the example that all Christians should emulate. Her “Yes” to the angel Gabriel is an act of faith that sets the standard for all of the Church to follow. And yet when was the last time you heard a sermon, sat through a Bible Class, or read a Protestant theologian commend the Blessed Virgin Mary as such?


annunciation


Protestants are quick to criticize Rome for declaring as dogma of the Church the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and the Bodily Assumption in 1950. “These things are nowhere in the Scriptures!” Protestants lament. I say, who cares? Is it that offensive to suggest that the God-Bearer was wiped clean of original sin in a single act of grace by the One whom she would bring into the world? Does is not make sense that the New Eve would be a spotless ark for her Son, the Messiah? 

The Immaculate Conception isn’t about Mary, it’s about Jesus, and to speak of His Mother as sinless (as Luther and other Reformers did) is a most salutary thing to do, especially considering that she remained a virgin throughout her earthly life (a universally accepted belief even among the most radical of Protestant reformers and a teaching taught in the Lutheran Confessions). And her Bodily Assumption? I guess the examples of Enoch and Elijah mean nothing? Again, what is so theologically offensive about this teaching that is deeply rooted in the Church’s tradition? Do we Lutherans, as the Apology of the Augsburg Confessions teaches, no longer believe that this woman prays for the Church?


To ignore the Blessed Virgin Mary makes no sense. Without her our Christology is shot. Without her our hermeneutics are insignificant. Without her our understanding of sin and grace is incomplete. Without her we cannot call ourselves part of the Body of Christ. This woman is our Mother, commended to the Church by our Lord Himself. And to ignore her is something no Christian should ever do.


Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum!